Maria Sharapova failed drug test at Australian Open

SYDNEY (92 News) – Tennis star Maria Sharapova announced that she failed a drug test at this year’s Australian Open for a medication she had been taking for 10 years that was recently banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The drug, meldonium, was added to the banned list in September, and went into effect on January 1. Sharapova said she was notified via email in December that WADA’s antidoping policies had been updated, but didn’t click on the link to see what new substances were included. She took full responsibility for having the drug in her system and apologized for letting down her fans and the sport.

“I made a huge mistake,” she said during a brief news conference in Los Angeles. “I don’t want to end my career this way and I really hope that I will be given another chance to play this game.”

The International Tennis Federation said in a statement that Sharapova would be provisionally suspended from competition on March 12, pending a full determination of her case.